Hull and keel for a buoyant hunting decoy

ABSTRACT

A buoyant hunting decoy comprising a decoy portion, a wall, a first keel, and a second keel. The wall defines a portion of a hull and the first keel extends downwardly from the wall. The second keel also extends downwardly from the wall and is spaced apart from the first keel.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/991,228, filed May 29, 2018, the disclosure of which is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to a hull and keel for a buoyant huntingdecoy. More specifically, the hull and keel is shaped and weighted toprovide improved and more lifelike characteristics of the buoyanthunting decoy.

Buoyant hunting decoys, such as duck, goose, and other waterfowl huntingdecoys, are well-known hunting devices used by hunters to lure similarwaterfowl to approach a water feature where the hunters may harvest thembefore landing. The hunter may use weighted lines to keep the decoysfrom floating away. In some configurations, hunters pull on an end of ajerk line to induce motion of the decoys to make the decoys appear to bemore lifelike while floating in the water. However, many modern buoyanthunting decoys suffer from drawbacks that prevent or quickly dampenlifelike movements.

As shown in FIG. 1, a prior art buoyant hunting decoy 100 is depicted.The buoyant hunting decoy 100 comprises an upper portion 102 provided inthe form of a duck. A generally flat bottom surface of the upper portion102 forms a hull 104 of the buoyant hunting decoy 100. An elongate andcontinuous keel 106 extends downwardly from the hull 104 and includes alower body 108. The lower body 108 extends laterally along a significantlength of the buoyant hunting decoy 100 and is normally substantiallyhollow and commonly filled with sand to provide weight that keeps thebuoyant hunting decoy 100 upright. The lower body 108 also commonlyincludes line retention slots 110 and/or holes 112 that may be used withweighted lines and/or jerk lines as described above. Due to the designspecifications of the prior art buoyant hunting decoy 100, the behaviorof the buoyant hunting decoy 100 is minimally lifelike and suffers fromcommon drawbacks.

First, when floating in still water, the hunter is required to tug onthe jerk line or the buoyant hunting decoy 100 will be unnaturallystill. In many instances, the weight distribution is spread evenly alongthe length of the buoyant hunting decoy 100 and naturally dampens anybobbing type motion making the buoyant hunting decoy 100 unnaturallystill. Second, even when there are small ripples in the water, thedampening behavior of the weight within the lower body 108 works againstthe motion of the buoyant hunting decoy 100 so that the motion is notlifelike bobbing of a duck in water. Third, when the buoyant huntingdecoy 100 is placed in a stream with a moderate to strong current, thewater passing between the lower body 108 and the flat hull 104 createshydrodynamic forces that cause the front of the buoyant hunting decoy100 to dip deeper into the water, normally causing the head of thebuoyant hunting decoy 100 to sink. The sinking behavior is clearlyunnatural and common among many brands of decoys on the market today.

Therefore, there is a need for a hull and keel for buoyant huntingdecoys that allows for more lifelike animal behavior, while at the sametime allowing for efficient and cost effective manufacturing.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure may overcome one or more of the aforementioneddrawbacks by providing a buoyant hunting decoy that providessignificantly improved lifelike behavior by bobbing and respondingnaturally to water movement while floating in the water.

According to one aspect, a buoyant hunting decoy includes a decoyportion, a wall, a first keel, and a second keel. The wall defines aportion of a hull and the first keel extends downwardly from the wall.The second keel also extends downwardly from the wall and is spacedapart from the first keel.

According to another aspect, a buoyant hunting decoy includes a decoyportion, a curved bottom wall, a first keel, and a second keel. Thedecoy portion is configured to appear as waterfowl. The curved bottomwall defines a lower portion of a hull and the first keel extendsdownwardly from the curved bottom wall. The second keel also extendsdownwardly from the curved bottom wall and is spaced apart from thefirst keel.

According to a further aspect, a buoyant hunting decoy includes a decoyportion, a curved bottom wall, a first keel, and a second keel. Thedecoy portion is configured to appear as waterfowl. The curved bottomwall defines a lower portion of a hull and the first keel extendsdownwardly from the curved bottom wall. The first keel includes at leastone weight. The second keel also extends downwardly from the curvedbottom wall and is spaced apart from the first keel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a partial side elevational view of a prior art device;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a buoyant hunting decoy having ahull and weighted keel;

FIG. 3 is a bottom isometric view of the hull and weighted keel of thebuoyant hunting decoy of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the hull and weighted keel of thebuoyant hunting decoy of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the hull and weighted keel of thebuoyant hunting decoy of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the hull and weighted keel of the buoyanthunting decoy of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 7 is an exploded isometric view of an embodiment of a buoyanthunting decoy.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it isto be understood that the invention is not limited in its application tothe details of construction and the arrangement of components set forthin the following description or illustrated in the following drawings.The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced orof being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood thatthe phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose ofdescription and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of“including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein ismeant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereofas well as additional items. Unless specified or limited otherwise, theterms “mounted,” “connected,” “supported,” and “coupled” and variationsthereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirectmountings, connections, supports, and couplings. Further, “connected”and “coupled” are not restricted to physical or mechanical connectionsor couplings.

The following discussion is presented to enable a person skilled in theart to make and use embodiments of the invention. Various modificationsto the illustrated embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilledin the art, and the generic principles herein can be applied to otherembodiments and applications without departing from embodiments of theinvention. Thus, embodiments of the invention are not intended to belimited to embodiments shown, but are to be accorded the widest scopeconsistent with the principles and features disclosed herein. Thefollowing detailed description is to be read with reference to thefigures, in which like elements in different figures have like referencenumerals. The figures, which are not necessarily to scale, depictselected embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope ofembodiments of the invention. Skilled artisans will recognize theexamples provided herein have many useful alternatives and fall withinthe scope of embodiments of the invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, an illustrative example of a buoyant hunting decoy200 is depicted. The buoyant hunting decoy 200 includes a hull 202attached to and extending downwardly from an upper decoy portion 210.The upper decoy portion 210 is substantially hollow and is colored toresemble a water fowl, such as a male mallard duck. It is contemplatedthat the upper decoy portion 210 may be formed to resemble any speciesof waterfowl or other animals that may be hunted with buoyant huntingdecoys. It is also contemplated that the hull and weighted keel may beused outside of traditional hunting decoys.

The hull 202 and the upper decoy portion 210 are designed to be joinedtogether to form a substantially waterproof unit. In some instances, thehull 202 and the upper decoy portion 210 may be integrally formed in thesame manufacturing process. Furthermore, it is contemplated that thebuoyant hunting decoy 200 be manufactured by a variety of techniquesallowing for a wide range of materials. For example, the buoyant huntingdecoy 200 be formed by wood carving or any number of plastic formingtechniques such as injection molding, blow molding, and a variety ofcasting methods. In some instances, the hull 202 and the upper decoyportion 210 are provided as the same material, for example, high densitypolyethylene (HDPE). In other instances, both the hull 202 and the upperdecoy portion 210 are constructed from a blend of HDPE and low densitypolyethylene (LDPE). It is also contemplated that the hull 202 and theupper decoy portion 210 may be constructed separately from LDPE or HDPE.In some configurations the hull 202 and the upper decoy portion 210 maybe manufactured separately and then assembled into a finished buoyanthunting decoy 200. In other configurations the hull 202 and the upperdecoy portion 210 may be manufactured as a single piece construction.Regardless of manufacturing technique or practice, the hull 202 and theupper decoy portion 210 may be constructed of individual or blendedmaterials to provide the best material properties for a specificportions requirements.

Turning now to FIGS. 3-6, the hull 202 is depicted without the upperdecoy portion 210 so that the details and shape of the hull 202 may beclearly observed. The hull 202 includes a curved bottom wall 204 with afirst keel 206 and a second keel 208 protruding downwardly from the wall204. In some instances, the bottom wall 204 of the hull 202 is curvedand is not flat like the prior art example depicted in FIG. 1. Moreparticularly, the bottom wall 204 is convexly curved from a front end214 of the bottom wall 204, i.e., adjacent a head disposed along a frontside 215 of the decoy portion 210, to a rear end 216 of the bottom wall204, i.e., adjacent a tail disposed along a rear side 217 of the decoyportion 210 (see FIGS. 1 and 4). Likewise, the bottom wall 204 issimilarly convexly curved from a left side 218 to a right side 220 (seeFIG. 5). Therefore, the combination of the convex curves from the frontend 214 to the rear end 216 and the left side 218 to the right side 220results in the bottom wall 204 taking the form of a complex curvedsurface. The bottom wall 204 is curved to provide better hydrodynamicperformance under varying conditions when compared to the traditionalflat bottom prior art buoyant hunting decoys. In particular, the waterflow under and around the hull 202 is improved and results in enhancedlifelike behavior of the buoyant hunting decoy 200, in part, due to thecomplex curvature of the bottom wall 204.

Still referring to FIGS. 3-6, the hull 202 also includes the first keel206 and the second keel 208 that protrude downwardly from the bottomwall 204. The first keel 206 and the second keel 208 extend downwardlyfrom an imaginary centerline 222 (see FIG. 3) that extendslongitudinally from the front end 214 to the rear end 216 of the bottomwall 204, and a first plane L extends vertically through the centerline222 (see FIG. 5). A first end 224 of the first keel 206 is positionedproximate to a mid-point of the centerline 222 formed by a second planeM (see FIG. 4) that bisects the buoyant hunting decoy 200, and separatesthe front side 215 and the rear side 217 of the decoy portion 210. Asecond end 226 of the first keel 206 is positioned about three-fourthsof the distance between the mid-point of the center line and the rearend 216 of the bottom wall. Further, the second keel 208 is positionedabout midway between the front end 214 and the mid-point of thecenterline 222.

In the embodiments depicted in FIGS. 2-6, the first keel 206 is locatedon one side (the rear side 217) of the second plane M, and the secondkeel 208 is located on the opposite side (the front side 215) of thesecond plane M, with a gap G, as depicted in FIG. 4 as LG, formedtherebetween. In some embodiments, the length of gap G, or LG, is aboutthe same size as the length of the second keel 208. In otherembodiments, the length of gap G, or LG, may be modified to accommodatesmaller or larger upper decoy portions 210. Further, in some instances,the length of the first keel 206 may be greater in length, e.g.,approximately twice the length, of the second keel 208.

The first keel 206 is provided in the form of a body with a slantedfront wall, or first surface 231, that extends down and slopesdownwardly from the wall 204, flattens out, and terminates at a roundedfoot. Referring to FIGS. 2-6, the first surface 231 is disposed at afirst angle α from a vertical plane that is parallel with the secondplane M, and the first surface 231 tapers inwardly relative to the firstvertical plane L of the centerline 222. The foot includes a closed lineretention hole 236 designed to receive a line. The body also includesrecesses 230 on opposing sides of the first keel 206 that are designedto receive one or more weights 228. The recesses 230 are sized tocorrespond to the shape and size of the weights 228. The weights 228 arecoupled to the first keel 206 through a central wall (not shown) by apair of rivets 232 or other fasteners. For example, as discussed belowthe fasteners may be rivets, screws, nails, or glue. The first keel 206further defines a third surface 235 that extends from the wall 204,slopes downwardly, and is opposite the first surface 231. As depicted inFIG. 4, the third surface 235 is disposed at a third angle θ withrespect to a vertical plane that is parallel with respect to plane M. Itis contemplated that the weights 228 may be retained to each side of thefirst keel 206 by any number of fastening methods such as screws, glue,nails, and the like known to one of ordinary skill in the art.

The weights 228 are provided in the form of one or more thin plates (seeFIG. 7) that have a curved lower surface 223 and a substantially flatupper surface 225, and the upper surface 225 extends between a firstcorner 225 a and a second corner 225 b spaced apart from the firstcorner 225 a. Referring to FIGS. 3 and 7, the weights 228 each include afirst side or inside surface 227 and a second side or outside surface229 opposite the inside surface 227. The inside surface 227 facesinward, toward the first keel 206, while the outside surface 229 facesaway from the first keel 206. The weights 228 are inserted into openingsof the recesses 230 (see FIG. 7), as discussed hereinafter below. In oneinstance, a single plate is provided for each side of the first keel206. In another instance, a plurality of plates may be provided. Forexample, two plates may be provided for each side of the first keel 206.The weights 228 may also include a logo or another insignia on a surfacethereof.

Additionally, in some embodiments, the weights 228 are designed to havea combined mass of about 85 grams for a common mallard duck decoy asdepicted in FIG. 2. In other embodiments, the mass is at least 85 grams.In further embodiments, the mass is between about 70 grams and about 100grams. It should be appreciated that the mass of the weights may beincreased depending on the size of the buoyant hunting decoy 200. Oneillustrative example is a buoyant hunting decoy shaped and decorated asa larger Canadian goose. Regardless of the species, the hull 202 andweighted keel 206 require less mass to keep the buoyant hunting decoy200 upright in the water as compared to prior art keels, whilepermitting significantly improved lifelike movement and behavior in thewater. For a standard mallard or comparable duck decoy, about 85 grams(about 3.0 ounces) to about 125 grams (about 4.4 ounces) is believed tobe about the minimum weight to ensure the decoy will right itself in thewater if knocked over depending on the size and shape of the decoy.

It is contemplated that the weights 228 are manufactured from acorrosion resistant metal or are treated and/or painted/coated toprevent corrosion. Some exemplary metals include any number of stainlesssteel alloys, including but not limited to 304 stainless steel, bronzealloys, and aluminum alloys. While the use of metal may increase themanufacturing cost slightly, it is an improvement of the prior art's useof sand in the body 108 by providing a smaller volume with higherdensity to maximize the effects on the weight distribution andpositioning close to the bottom wall 204. It is contemplated that thematerials used for the weights may be made from a variety of materialsknown to one having ordinary skill in the art.

Still referring to FIGS. 3-6, the second keel 208 protrudes downwardlyfrom the wall 204 and is defined by a body with a sloping surface orsecond surface 233 that slopes downwardly and terminates at a frontfoot. Referring to FIGS. 2-6, the second surface 233 is disposed at asecond angle θ (see FIG. 4) with respect to a vertical plane that isparallel with the second plane M. The second keel 208 extends downwardlyfrom the wall 204 and tapers inwardly relative to the first plane L ofthe centerline 222 in a direction moving away from the wall 204. Thebody includes a pair of recesses 234 on opposing sides of the body andnumerous openings provided in the form of a closed line retention hole236 and an open line retention hole 238. The open and closed lineretention holes 236, 238 may be used to configure the buoyant huntingdecoy 200 with a variety of arrangements by a hunter. The second keel208 further defines a fourth surface 237 that extends from the wall 204,slopes downwardly, and is opposite the second surface 233. As depictedin FIG. 4, the fourth surface 237 is disposed at a fourth angle ϕ withrespect to a vertical plane that is parallel with the second plane M.The first surface 231 of the first keel 206 and the fourth surface 237of the second keel 208 slope downwardly in a first direction withrespect to the second plane M. The second surface 233 of the second keel208 and the third surface 235 of the first keel 206 slope downwardly ina second direction with respect to the second plane M, opposite thefirst direction. It is contemplated that any number of holes or slotsmay be present to offer numerous configuration and line retentionoptions to a hunter.

The second keel 208 includes a curved surface 241 defined by a secondprotrusion 250 that creates a second line retention notch 252. Likewise,the first keel 206 also includes a curved surface 239 defined by anopposing first protrusion 254 that creates a first line retention notch256. The first and second line retention notches 256, 254 may be usedwith the open and closed line retention holes 236, 238 to providestorage and customizable deployment configurations for a weight line. Aweight line may include a clip at one end to be attached to one of theclosed retention holes 236. The excess weight line may be wrapped aroundboth the first and second keels 206, 208 within the first and secondline retention notches 256, 254. Depending on the depth of the water,the appropriate amount of weight line may be provided below the buoyanthunting decoy 200 and hooked through the open retention hole 236 toprevent the excess line from unraveling. For storage, the weight linemay be fully wrapped around the first and second keels 206, 208 withinthe first and second line retention notches 256, 254 and then hookedthrough the open retention hole 236 to prevent the weight line fromunraveling.

As can be seen in FIGS. 3-6, the weights 228 are positioned adjacent thebottom wall 204 and centered on opposing sides of the centerline 222.Also, the weights 228 are positioned behind the midpoint of thecenterline giving the weights 228 a rearward bias effect on the centerof gravity of the buoyant hunting decoy 200. The rearward bias of thecenter of gravity is also affected by the reduction of mass in thesecond keel 208 from the recesses 234. The combination of the complexcurve shape of the bottom wall 204 and the weight distribution bypositioning the weights 228 below a rearward portion of the buoyanthunting decoy 200 and just below or adjacent to the bottom wall 204permit significantly improved lifelike behavior of the buoyant huntingdecoy 200.

The weight distribution and shape of the hull 202 also permit theimproved natural lifelike bobbing and movement in the water to persistlonger that the prior art buoyant hunting decoy 100. The weight andposition of the lower body 108 of the prior art buoyant hunting decoy100 has a severe dampening effect that is significantly overcome by theshape and weight distribution of the hull 202. By overcoming thedampening effect of the prior art devices, the buoyant hunting decoy 200bobs and moves longer without requiring a jerk line. Furthermore, if ahunter still desires a jerk line to increase the movement of the buoyanthunting decoy 200, less effort is required to maintain persistentmovement when a hunter pulls on the jerk line attached to the buoyanthunting decoy 200. This permits the hunter to pay more attention toapproaching animals attracted by the buoyant hunting decoy 200.

Furthermore, the weights 228 are also positioned parallel to an interiorwall and within the recesses 230 of the first keel 206. By keeping theweight close to the bottom wall 204 and positioned vertically, thebuoyant hunting decoy 200 also has improved tracking and movement incurrents and/or choppy moving water. The structure of the hull 202substantially reduces the tendency of the front end 214 to be pulleddownward by hydrodynamic forces that are created by the water flowbetween the flat bottom hull 104 and the lower body 108 attached belowthe keel 106 of the prior art buoyant hunting decoy 100 as shown in FIG.1.

The shape of the hull 202 and weighted keel 206 also provide afunctional esthetic as well as improved lifelike performance. The firstand second keels 206, 208 are smaller and allow the buoyant huntingdecoy 200 to be deployed in a larger variety of environments from fastermoving currents to shallow still waters. Furthermore, as a result of theshape, the buoyant hunting decoy 200 may be pressed into a wet bank orshoreline to appear as a nesting or resting hunting decoy with lesseffort that the prior art design presented.

Turning now to FIG. 7, a buoyant hunting decoy 200 is depicted with anexploded view of the weights 228 illustrating the attachment method. Asshown, the weights 228 comprise four individual weights 228 that arecoupled together and attached to the first keel 206 via the rivets 232that extend through the weights 228 and the weight retention holes 242,and the weight retention holes 242 are positioned below the uppersurface 225, the first corner 225 a, and the second corner 225 b. Stillreferring to FIG. 7, one of the recesses 230 is shown in greater detail,the recess 230 being defined by a plurality of internal recess surfaces260 that include an upper internal surface 260 a extending between afirst internal corner 260 b and a second internal corner 260 c spacedapart from the first internal corner 260 b. As illustrated in FIGS. 3,4, and 7, the weights 228 are aligned to nest within the recesses 230 sothat the first corner 225 a of the weights 228 is received by or withinthe first internal corner 260 b of the recess 230, the second corner 225b of the weights 228 is received by or within the second internal corner260 c of the recess 230, and the upper surface 225 of the weights 228 isreceived along the upper internal surface 260 a of the recess, such thatthe internal recess surfaces 260 prevent rotation of the weights 228 inany rotational direction. An outer edge 261 of the internal recesssurfaces 260 defines a weight opening 262 across which one or more ofthe weights 228 is inserted. As shown in FIGS. 3, 5, and 6, at least oneof the surfaces of one of the weights 228, e.g., the inside surface 227,entirely crosses over the opening 262 when the weight 228 is insertedinto the recess 230. As further shown in FIG. 7, the fasteners 232 areconfigured to secure the weights 228 within the recesses 230, and arefurther configured to be unfastened (as shown in FIG. 7) to unsecure theweights 228 from the recesses. Referring to FIGS. 4, 6, and 7, theweight opening 262 defined by the outer edge 261 creates or defines anopening plane (not shown) that is offset or angled with respect to themid-plane M, i.e., the mid-plane M and the opening plane are notco-planar.

It is contemplated that in some configurations of the improved hull 202the rivets 232 may be replaced by fastening mechanisms described hereinthat permit changing the number or mass of weights 228 coupled to thefirst keel 206. It is also contemplated that the number and/or mass ofthe weights 228 may be adjusted by a user based upon environmentalconditions and/or personal preferences of the user. During differentenvironmental conditions, on a windy day for example, a user may wish toincrease or decrease the number and/or mass of the weights 228 to adjustthe behavior of the buoyant hunting decoy 200 depending on the body ofwater that the buoyant hunting decoy 200 is to be deployed in.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that while theinvention has been described above in connection with particularembodiments and examples, the invention is not necessarily so limited,and that numerous other embodiments, examples, uses, modifications anddepartures from the embodiments, examples and uses are intended to beencompassed by the claims attached hereto. The entire disclosure of eachpatent and publication cited herein is incorporated by reference, as ifeach such patent or publication were individually incorporated byreference herein.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

A buoyant hunting decoy that provides improved lifelike behavior in thewater is presented. A hunter may experience significantly improvedperformance in attracting and harvesting game as the buoyant huntingdecoy of the present disclosure requires less attention and effort toprovide improved performance over the prior art.

Numerous modifications to the present invention will be apparent tothose skilled in the art in view of the foregoing description.Accordingly, this description is to be construed as illustrative onlyand is presented for the purpose of enabling those skilled in the art tomake and use the invention and to teach the best mode of carrying outsame. The exclusive rights to all modifications which come within thescope of the appended claims are reserved.

We claim:
 1. A buoyant hunting decoy, comprising: a decoy portiondefining a head and a tail that are disposed along opposing sides of amid-plane M, the mid-plane M separating a front side of the decoy and arear side of the decoy; and a lower portion comprising: a first keelextending downwardly from the decoy portion, the first keel defining arecess therein, the recess defined by a plurality of internal recesssurfaces and a weight opening, the plurality of internal recess surfacesfurther defining a first internal corner and a second internal cornerspaced apart from the first internal corner; a weight fixedly securedwithin the recess of the first keel, the weight defining an uppersurface that extends between a first corner and a second corner spacedapart from the first corner and a first side surface and a second sidesurface opposite the first side surface, wherein the recess matches ashape and size of the weight in order to receive the entire weighttherein; and a fastener extending through the weight to fixedly securethe weight in the recess, wherein the weight is configured to beinserted into the recess via insertion across the weight opening suchthat the first side surface of the weight entirely crosses the weightopening, wherein the fastener is further configured to be unfastened soas to unsecure the weight, and wherein the first corner of the weight isreceived within the first internal corner of the recess and the secondcorner of the weight is received within the second internal corner ofthe recess.
 2. The buoyant hunting decoy of claim 1, wherein the recessincludes an upper internal surface, the upper surface of the weight isreceived along the upper internal surface of the recess, and the firstcorner of the weight is received by the first internal corner of therecess.
 3. The buoyant hunting decoy of claim 1, wherein the fastener isa screw.
 4. The buoyant hunting decoy of claim 1, wherein the weightcomprises metal.
 5. The buoyant hunting decoy of claim 1, wherein thedecoy portion and the first keel define a unitary structure.
 6. Thebuoyant hunting decoy of claim 5, wherein the decoy portion and thefirst keel comprise a plastic material.
 7. The buoyant hunting decoy ofclaim 5, wherein the unitary structure defines a substantially hollowinterior.
 8. The buoyant hunting decoy of claim 1, wherein the weight isentirely disposed on the rear side of the mid-plane M.
 9. The buoyanthunting decoy of claim 1, wherein the decoy portion defines a lineretention hole therethrough.
 10. A buoyant hunting decoy, comprising: adecoy portion defining a head and a tail that are disposed alongopposing sides of a mid-plane M, the mid-plane M separating a front sideof the decoy and a rear side of the decoy; and a lower portioncomprising: a first keel extending downwardly from the decoy portion, asecond keel extending downwardly from the decoy portion and spaced apartfrom the first keel, a first weight secured within a first recess alonga left side of the lower portion, the first weight defining a firstupper surface that extends between a first corner and a second corner,the first weight further defining a first side surface and a second sidesurface opposite the first side surface, and the first recess defined bya plurality of internal recess surfaces and a first weight opening, anda second weight secured within a second recess along a right side of thelower portion, the second weight defining a second upper surface thatextends between a third corner and a fourth corner, wherein the firstrecess matches a size and shape of the first weight, and the secondrecess matches a size and shape of the second weight, wherein the firstweight is configured to be inserted into the first recess via insertionacross the first weight opening such that the first side surface of thefirst weight entirely crosses the first weight opening, and a fasteneris configured to secure the first weight within the first recess,wherein the fastener is configured to be unfastened so as to unsecurethe first weight.
 11. The buoyant hunting decoy of claim 10, wherein thefirst weight and the second weight are disposed entirely along the rearside of the decoy.
 12. The buoyant hunting decoy of claim 10, whereinthe first corner and the second corner of the first weight are receivedby a first internal corner and a second internal corner, respectively,of the first recess.
 13. The buoyant hunting decoy of claim 10, whereinthe decoy portion, the first keel, and the second keel define a unitarystructure.
 14. A buoyant hunting decoy, comprising: an upper portiondefining a head and a tail that are disposed along opposing sides of amid-plane M, the mid-plane M separating a front side of the decoy and arear side of the decoy; and a lower portion, the lower portioncomprising: a first keel defined with a first recess therein and a firstweight formed as a metal plate removably secured entirely within thefirst keel in the first recess, the first weight defining a flat uppersurface extending between a first corner and a second corner, the firstweight further defining a first side surface and a second side surfaceopposite the first side surface, and the first recess defined by aplurality of internal recess surfaces and a first weight opening; and asecond keel spaced apart from the first keel, wherein the upper portionand the lower portion define a unitary structure, wherein the firstweight is configured to be inserted into the first recess via insertionacross the first weight opening such that the first side surface of thefirst weight entirely crosses the first weight opening, and a fasteneris configured to secure the first weight within the recess, wherein thefastener is configured to be unfastened so as to unsecure the firstweight, and wherein the first and second corners of the first weight arereceived within first and second internal corners defined by the recess.15. The buoyant hunting decoy of claim 14, wherein the unitary structurecomprises a plastic material.
 16. The buoyant hunting decoy of claim 15,wherein the unitary structure defines a substantially hollow interior ofthe decoy.
 17. The buoyant hunting decoy of claim 15, wherein theplastic material is a copolymer.
 18. The buoyant hunting decoy of claim17, wherein the copolymer comprises a thermoplastic material.
 19. Thebuoyant hunting decoy of claim 1, wherein the weight is a first weightand the lower portion further includes a second weight, and wherein thefirst weight is disposed on a left side of a longitudinal plane thatextends longitudinally from the tail to the head of the decoy in adirection orthogonal to the mid-plane M, and the second weight isdisposed on a right side of the longitudinal plane.
 20. The buoyanthunting decoy of claim 19, wherein the recess is a first recess and thelower portion further includes a second recess, and wherein the secondweight is secured within the second recess, which matches a shape andsize of the second weight in order to receive the entire second weighttherein.
 21. The buoyant hunting decoy of claim 20, wherein thelongitudinal plane bisects the buoyant hunting decoy, and wherein thefirst weight and the second weight are symmetrically disposed on thefirst side and the second side of the plane.
 22. The buoyant huntingdecoy of claim 10, wherein the lower portion defines a longitudinalplane that extends longitudinally from a first end adjacent a head ofthe decoy portion to a second end adjacent a tail of the decoy portion,and wherein the first weight and the second weight are symmetricallydisposed on a first side and a second side of the plane, respectively.23. The buoyant hunting decoy of claim 14, further comprising a secondweight positioned along the lower portion, wherein the first weight ispositioned along a left side of the lower portion, and the second weightis positioned along a right side of the lower portion.
 24. A buoyanthunting decoy, comprising: a decoy portion defining a head and a tailthat are disposed along opposing sides of a mid-plane M, the mid-plane Mseparating a front side of the decoy and a rear side of the decoy; and alower portion comprising: a first keel extending downwardly from thedecoy portion, the first keel defining a recess therein, the recessdefined by a plurality of internal recess surfaces and a weight opening,the plurality of internal recess surfaces including an upper internalsurface that extends between a first internal corner and a secondinternal corner; a weight fixedly secured within the recess of the firstkeel, the weight defining an upper surface extending between a firstcorner and a second corner and further extending between a first sidesurface and a second side surface opposite the first side surface,wherein the recess matches a shape and size of the weight in order toreceive the entire weight therein; and a fastener extending through aretention hole of the weight, the retention hole being positioned belowthe upper surface, the first corner, and the second corner of theweight, wherein the upper surface of the weight is received along theupper internal surface of the recess, the first corner of the weight isreceived by the first internal corner of the recess, and the secondcorner of the weight is received by the second internal corner of therecess.